AU-IBAR calls for livestock genetic resources in Africa’s seed agenda

ESWATINI – The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) has called for livestock genetics, planted forages and rangelands to be integrated into Africa’s seed policies and investment plans to strengthen livestock productivity, food security and climate resilience.

The call came during a side event at the African Union Inaugural Seed Summit in Ezulwini, Eswatini, held from 5 to 7 October 2026. 

Organised with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Eswatini’s Department of Livestock, the session brought together 24 participants from Eswatini, South Africa, Namibia and Zambia.

Under the theme “Animal Genetic Resources as Strategic Seed for Climate-Resilient African Livestock Systems”, participants highlighted the importance of indigenous livestock breeds, reproductive genetic material, improved forage crops and natural rangelands in supporting farming and pastoral communities.

These resources carry traits that can help livestock systems withstand climate pressures and disease. 

However, participants said animal and forage resources remain largely outside mainstream seed policy and investment, with fragmented value chains, weak quality assurance and limited traceability restricting their development.

They identified additional challenges, including inadequate access to reproductive technologies, weak conservation systems, indiscriminate breeding and uncontrolled crossbreeding that can erode valuable genetic resources.

Participants agreed that existing continental frameworks, including the Africa Seed and Biotechnology Programme (ASBP) Action Plan and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), already recognise livestock and animal genetic resources. 

The priority now is to translate that recognition into implementation, investment, and measurable progress.

Three recommendations emerged from the discussions. Participants called for the revised ASBP and its post-Summit implementation roadmap to explicitly include animal, forage, and rangeland seed systems. 

They also recommended operationalising the Animal Seed Technical Working Group, coordinated by AU-IBAR, to support policy development, standards, technical tools and stakeholder engagement.

The third recommendation focused on strengthening five Regional AU Animal Resources Seed Centres of Excellence in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Tunisia and Uganda.

Investment in the centres would support skills development, genetic evaluation, cryopreservation, performance reporting and reproductive technologies.

Participants further urged the African Union Commission to recognise and approve the concept note for a proposed AU-IBAR Livestock Summit in 2028. 

The proposed summit would provide a continental platform to coordinate animal and forage seed systems and clarify the roles of AU-IBAR, ILRI and other research partners.

As a direct outcome of the side event, AU-IBAR will publish a policy brief on Africa’s animal seed systems.

The initiative aims to strengthen the role of livestock and forage resources in Africa’s food security and climate-resilience agenda, with farmers and pastoralists recognised as custodians of the continent’s genetic and natural resources.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.